Martin Morgan of the Black Rock Lave Net Heritage Fishery near Portskewett canoed the two-mile stretch of river last weekend and posted ‘heart-breaking’ footage of the ailing waterway, which can be waded across at points.
In the film showing a dead salmon found on the bottom of the river near the mouth of the Monnow, Martin says: “It’s absolutely criminal. We’ve got drought conditions, sewerage being discharged, low oxygen levels, fish are dying, struggling… it’s a sad, sad sight. What the hell is happening on this river, other rivers in this country are not like it.”
An online fishery post said: “An evening on the River Wye for Black rock lave net fisherman Martin paddling from Redbrook to Monmouth against what flow there was and back.
“Dead salmon, rafts of algae and effluent discharge were the sights witnessed, a depressing journey, not what it should have been…
“The river desperately needs a lot of rain to wash away the filth, oxygenate the water and give any surviving salmon a chance of survival.
“No one seems to be doing anything to alleviate the issues on the river so it will all be left to chance.”
He added: “Heart-breaking sight tonight on the River Wye close to the mouth of the Monnow.
“Another dead salmon… counted several this evening. Pollution and low river level are coming together and the salmon don’t stand a chance.”
On another post showing footage of a foam-covered pool behind a croy near the Monmouth sewage works, Martin said “sweage is hammering out… it absolutely stinks”.
“I can’t believe what I am seeing tonight. Passed through dead and obviously struggling salmon and then this… A stinking dead zone. Drought conditions and still happening. What chance have the salmon got…”
And he drew attention to the contrast with the River Tyne, which has just recorded its best run of fish in July, with 11,845 upstream counts in a month.
Martin said: “A story of two UK rivers. Compare this to the Wye and what has been allowed to happen to that over the past decades.
“Salmon stocks are NOT in crisis on this UK river (the Tyne), in fact they are booming. Over 11,000 salmon counted in July. Whatever the management of this river are doing, perhaps NRW (National Resources Wales) should take a leaf out of their book.”
The fishery held a successful end of season open day last Saturday, despite there being no fishing following the NRW’s ban on taking salmon from the Wye, Usk and Severn estuary.
But a post said: “Sadly it will not be held anymore, another casualty of the NRW further catch restrictions to our fishermen.
“Fishing effort has dropped by 95 per cent this season and the group has not met, net house not opened, the fishery has ceased to be a tourism attraction.
“We feel wronged and to continue would be like rubbing salt in a wound.
“There is very little to celebrate anymore… We can only apologise to all who supported us and helped make the open day the community event it was.”